For dieters, stepping on the scale is a common ritual–but is it a good or bad thing?
According to new research from the Cornell Food & Brand Lab, it’s not only good, it’s effective. New research from their lab says that people who weighed themselves at least once per week were more likely to lose weight–but those who didn’t usually gained more weight.
On the contrary, more weigh-ins also increased body dissatisfaction, with some evidence linking it to disordered eating.
“This study demonstrates a positive relationship between frequent self-weighing and successful weight control by analyzing temporal associations between time difference of consecutive weight measurements and the corresponding weight changes based on actual self-weighing data,” write researchers in the journal PLOS ONE. “For some individuals, frequent self-weighing may be associated with negative outcomes such as increased body dissatisfaction or decreased self-esteem when progressing too slowly towards or failing in weight loss goals.”
Initially recruiting 117 participants for the study, researchers first asked them if they intended to lose weight, which brought the number down to 40 participants. Here, researchers tracked how often they self-weighed themselves over a period of 14 weeks–which, for participants, ranged from daily self-weighing to rare weight check-ins.
Looking at the data, researchers then examined who had lost the most weight, and found a strong correlation. For those who weighed in everyday, their rate of weight loss was the highest–but the participants who weighed in less than once per week actually gained weight.
On the contrary, self-weighing was also shown to cause more body dissatisfaction, though researchers note this usually occurred when participants didn’t lose weight.
“Nevertheless, self-weighing frequency and body satisfaction were not found to correlate in a weight loss trial, whereas increased self-weighing frequency was once again associated with greater weight loss,” say researchers. “Long breaks in self-weighing were associated with a risk of weight gain, whereas weight loss typically took place during active (i.e. daily) self-weighing periods.”
In conclusion, researchers emphasize that these findings show that not weighing in regularly could be disastrous for weight loss–so weighing yourself often matters.
“The findings emphasize that missing data in weight management studies with a weight-monitoring component may be associated with non-adherence to the weight loss program and may be an early sign of weight gain,” say researchers.
What This Means For You
It isn’t easy to lose weight–but now there’s a way to keep you on track. To continue losing weight, weigh yourself on a regular basis, and do it often. Not only does it help you keep tabs on your progress, it also motivates you to stay on track too.
Readers: How often do you use the scale?
Sources:
Weigh-In Once a Week or You’ll Gain Weight – ScienceDaily.com
Are Breaks in Daily Self-Weighing Associated With Weight Gain? (Study) – PLOSOne.org
Use Your Scale At Least Once Per Week or You’ll Gain Weight – Cornell.edu
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